In many cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Columbus Day is being renamed as Indigenous Peoples Day. In celebration of that, we wanted to bring you a wine made by, I am fairly certain, the only female Native American winemaker in the country, Tara Gomez of Kitá Wines.

MusicThe seductive aromas of the 2012 Kalas are what we're pairing to with our musical selection this week: an aria from Franz Lehar's operetta Giuditta entitled "Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss." Translation: My lips, they kiss so hot" (oh my!) The declamatory opening chords grab your ears straight away, then fade away into a swaying, seductive minor key verse, which then opens up until a major tonality that even further broadens that three-beat swaying waltz feel. Utterly sensuous! Make sure to listen for the switch back and forth between verse and refrain as you take in the many and diverse flavors and aromas of this lovely pairing.

Wine

The 2012 Kalas is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a deep colored wine with immediate seductive aromatics that play with your senses and just cry out for some musical accompaniment. The nose is incredibly lush, the depth of flavors is rich and includes mulberry, violet, green olives, cedar, and underlying mineral characteristics. This wine is fruit driven, yet textured and structured throughout the palate. The crisp acidity balances the complex and dynamic tannic finish. At $50 it's perhaps not an absolutely everyday wine but it's certainly worth the extra pennies for a special occasion

CheeseBeemster X-O is not for the faint of heart! It has a deep ocher interior and a firm, crumbly texture. True to the characteristics of Beemster’s unique milk, this cheese retains a creamy mouthfeel, even though it's aged for more than two years. The crunchy crystals surprise the palate and are tempered by the warmth and velvety mouthfeel of the Kalas. Even those who don't typically like strong flavored cheese like this change their tune when trying Beemster, and it's always a crowd favorite.